other phrases and comments by Louis Hobeika in TimesOfMalta essay

Like anyone invested in global financial markets, Arab sovereign funds, investment banks and rich individuals are taking a severe beating. Also getting queasy are those who have poured money into real estate ventures in boom towns like Dubai or Doha, or the frothy housing markets of Amman, Damascus and Beirut that have been fuelled by remittances and investments from the Gulf.

But they have few other outlets for their wealth in a region where corruption, political instability and sluggish economic reform have handicapped growth and development for decades.

"People who have money in the Middle East are deeply plugged into the global financial system. They have nowhere else to go," argued Rami Khouri, a Beirut-based Middle East commentator.

"We are getting a double whammy - the direct impact of the global financial crisis and the cumulative backlash of our own mediocre public policies in the last 40 years."

Middle East stock markets, at first shielded by the region's vast oil money inflows, saw panic selling amid fears that a five-year Gulf property boom was over and developers would have to merge as financing conditions worsened.

A plunge in world oil prices to around $89.27 a barrel from a record $147 in July has provided another sharp reminder of the vulnerability of many Arab economies to global shocks - even those where free-market policies have made only slow inroads.

"The Arab region is not yet fully globalised. It represents no more than 2.5 per cent of the world economy, from which it is still disconnected, except for oil," said Louis Hobeika, an economics professor at Lebanon's Notre Dame University.

That disconnect might provide some protection from global upheaval, he added. "However, during a period of recovery, we lose a lot because we don't grow with the rest of the world."

Anti-Western Islamists and old-style nationalist advocates of Arab socialism may also claim that the crisis vindicates their criticism of the evils of globalisation and the West.

But such critics do not define policies in most Arab states, where political elites have adopted mantras of economic reform, even if implementation and transparency have often lagged.

In Egypt, the world crisis should make free-market reforms like privatisation all the more urgent, said Angus Blair, head of research at investment bank Beltone Financial in Cairo. For example, he said, the government had lost out by deciding in July to cancel the sale of state-owned Banque du Caire, Egypt's third largest bank, saying bids were too low.

"In hindsight, the lack of sale of Banque du Caire looks misplaced because they could have received a price they will not now be able to receive for many years," Mr Blair said.

"In terms of reform for Egypt and the region, if authorities have any sense, and I think they do in Egypt, they will use this as an opportunity to reform further. Because that is exactly what we need," he declared.

By AFZAL SIPRA

Wednesday, 15 October 2008.

WWW.AHMEDQURAISHI.COM

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—Mr. Barak Obama, the American presidential candidate, wants us to believe that America has been helping Pervez Musharraf.

He has said, "The Bush administration has been helping Musharraf against the wishes of Pakistani people."

If this statement represents Mr. Obama's vision of international issues then God help America if he is elected.

Everyone must understand that USA has never helped Pakistan since 1947. She has always helped the rulers here against the wishes of the people of Pakistan to achieve their international goals. They helped Ayub Khan, and in return were given the Bada Bair Air Base near Peshawar. Then the American U-2 planes breached Soviet airspace took place and embarrassed Pakistan and Ayub Khan asked Americans to leave. They left, closed the air base and later Ayub Khan also left.

Gen Zia used them and they used him against Soviet Union. He completed nuclear program of his country. When the job was done he died in the plane crash. It was also against the wishes of major political parties and political leaders.

If you read about the Afghan policy of Gen. Zia and the deal between Gen. Zia and USA in the book titled, "The Power Struggle in Hindukush" by retired Lt. Gen. Kamal Matin-ud-Din, you will find this fine excerpt:

"General Zia knew that Pakistan is the only turf now on which USA could play ball in this region. "You take Pakistan out of this region and you will find that you have not one inch of soil where America can have influence," said Zia in March 1980.

He made use of the new situation on his border to strengthen his armed forces and in the process to ensure his own survival. He taunted the Americans by saying "When you lost Vietnam you went home and cried. When the Soviets were kicked out of Egypt they went to Libya," a hint to Washington that it should have diverted it's military assistance to Pakistan.

Pakistan once again was willing to act as the cat's paw in the superpower rivalry albeit for its own national interest. The Americans on their part forgot their previous allegations of violation of human rights in Pakistan. The nuclear nonproliferation issue, which was a major irritant in U.S.-Pak relations, was put on the back burner. The tilt towards the 'largest democracy in the world' was adjusted by giving equal importance to Pakistan's security. The U.S. arms embargo against Pakistan was lifted. USA reaffirmed the 1959 Karachi agreement. Pakistan was now again an ally of the USA, a bulwark against communism and counterweight to pro-Soviet India. Pakistan's $5.1 billion debt was re-scheduled taking into consideration the country's precarious situation since the Soviet move into Afghanistan.

The Peoples Republic of China, a trusted friend of Pakistan and an adversary of Soviet Union, declared its full support to Pakistan. So did Saudi Arabia, Egypt and some other conservative Muslim States."

When the job was done Zia's plane crashed. Musharraf did the same though against the wishes of the people of Pakistan. USA accepted his military regime and always said, "It is Pakistan's internal matter." When he did not allow them to cross the circle he was removed.

Where are the people of Pakistan? Present democratic government is not supported by majority of the people of Pakistan as far as their foreign policy is concerned. Though they are trying to get the rubber stamp from the parliament, it will fail. A big majority of Pakistanis consider China and Saudi Arabia as their true and sincere friends. Any government military or civil which will work against it is bound to fail. No body can fight with people of Pakistan and Afghanistan, government and people of China and Iran in this region.

Leaders stumble because of wrong assessment and appreciation of the situation: Hitler's marshals made him believe that they will capture Russia without much resistance but their tanks bogged down in Siberia. Indian Commanders misled P.M Shastri in 1965 that they will have afternoon tea at the Lahore Club on Sept- 6, 1965. American Leaders were misled in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Brezhnev was led to believe by his army marshals that the whole operation would be over in a few days and pro-Soviet regime would be firmly placed in Kabul without much loss of blood, as happened in Bundapest (1956) and in Prague (1968).

Let me tell you the actual problems of these leaders. They do work on tangibles i.e. known facts, how much is the army air force and navy of a country, FE Reserves, fuel, arms and ammunition etc. They totally ignore the non-tangibles i.e. the quality of the people of a motherland and their spirit to defend their homeland. They expect them to offer flowers to the invaders. Instead they get the bullets.

It should be known to anyone and everyone that you can only win against guerilla war if the people are with you.

Americans are trying to give an impression that Pakistan Army and Frontier Constabulary is not trained and they will train them. Gen. Kayani, sir, please tell them it was these very Pakistani soldiers who saved American soldiers in Somalia from militants and not vice versa. Lesson learnt is, "No panga [don't mess] with Pakistan. It will be fatal."

The writer is a Pakistani commentator. He can be reached at muradsipra@yahoo.com

“GPS is allowed in Egypt but you must have a license after getting approval from security authorities,” Sherif Guinena, vice chairman of the National Telecommunication Regulator Agency (NTRA), told the Daily News Egypt newspaper.

Read more: Here

The continental award will be decided by votes from coaches of the group phase clubs of the CAF-MTN Champions League whilst the coaches of the 53-National associations affiliated to CAF, voting for the best player across the world.The shortlist for the Glo-CAF Best Player on the continent are Mohamed Aboutreika (Al- Ahly, Egypt), Ahmed Hassan (Al-Ahly, Egypt), Flavio Amado (Al-Ahly, Angola), Tresor Mputu Mabi (T.P. Mazembe, DR Congo) and Stephen Worgu (Enyimba, Nigeria).

Mohamed Aboutreika (Al-Ahly, Egypt), Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal, Togo), Amr Zaki (Wigan Athletic, Egypt), Didier Drogba (Chelsea, Cote d’Ivoire) and Michael Essien (Chelsea, Ghana) make up the shortlist for the Glo-CAF Best Player across the world.The final three of the two categories will be named before the Awards Gala fixed for Cotonou, Benin in December 2008.Ms. Gladys Telavi, Executive Director of Legal Services of Globacom assured of her outfit’s commitment to the development of football on the continent by making the event memorable.This is the fourth time the Nigeria-based cellular giants will be sponsoring the annual event since 2008.Mali’s Frederic Kanoute won the flagship award held in Togo last year.

hybrid solar/fossil power plant.

There are inscriptions or reliefs from the following ancient rulers:

• Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II.
• Assyrian kings Shalmaneser III and Esarhaddon.
• Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar.

Shalmaneser III took tribute from Jehu, the king of Israel,  841 B.C. Wright says,

“The tribute was evidently received after Shalmaneser's fifth attack on Damascus, following which he had marched his army into Phoenicia. While there he says that he received the tribute of Tyre, Sidon, and Jehu, and placed his portrait on the cliff of Ba' lira' si. This portrait, along with those of other kings, including Rameses II of Egypt..." is located at Dog River, north of Beirut. (Biblical Archaeology, 158-159).

Jehu was king of Israel in the 9th century B.C. (2 Kings 9). The Bible does not record this event, but the annals of Shalmaneser III record the following information:

"...I (also) marched as far as the mountains of Ba'li-ra'si which is a promontory (lit.: at the side of the sea) and erected there a stela with my image as king. At that time I received the tribute of the inhabitants of Tyre, Sidon and of Jehu, son of Ornri." (ANET, 280)

This photo, made in 2002, shows the reliefs left by Salmaneser III and Ramses (right).

The country of first refuge is where refugees flee to after they have left their homes. Refugees often languish in refugee camps or poor urban and rural areas in these places for years at a time before they are resettled. The Catholic News Service discussed the trouble of education for many refugees in Cairo, Egypt - a place that has been known to become a haven for refugees from Africa and Middle Eastern countries.

"The Sudanese [refugees] consider Egypt a step" to resettlement in the United States, Canada or another country, said Yasmine Serry of CRS, who coordinates the program. But hopes of resettlement often are delayed or dashed, and as families struggle to adapt to life in their new home, one of the first hurdles is sending their children to school.

While Egypt has allowed many refugees to harbor in cities like Cairo, it has unfortunately been unable to accommodate for the needs of the displaced, and as a result, many refugees live in sub-standard environments and become burdens on the surrounding communities. Few countries who have served as the first country or refuge for refugees have been able to integrate them in a meaningful manner. As a result, the burden has fallen on "western" nations such as the United States, Canada, etc. While these nations have had humanitarian traditions to be countries of resettlement, where refugees are relocated after they have entered refugee camps, they cannot continue this for years to come. The "burden" of refugees cannot fall on a select few countries but all countries must work appropriately to assist and provide for those who have fled from war and conflict.

As the article in the Post-Bulletin of Rochester, NY highlights, when refugees are provided with education, they become contributing members of societies and their children have the opportunity to be part of the new resettlement nation, developing an understanding of the country's culture and values.

Sudanese refugee Gawa Eldabas...Two years earlier, she had fled Khartoum, Sudan's capital, to escape oppressive government control. Now, she was leaving her temporary home of Cairo, Egypt [country of first refuge], with her husband and three children...on a plane bound for the United States.

With the help of the Intercultural Mutual Assistance Association's program in New York, refugees like Gawa Eldabas are complete programs in nursing and joining a much needed profession in the American work force while her kids are receiving an education. Instead of becoming a burden on a community like once may have been in Egypt, Gawa Eldabas and her family are adding the the diversity and economic needs of the United States because countries of resettlements are investing in those who have sought refuge within their borders.

Thankfully, a Doha-based scholar has the answer we have all been searching for in the Arab world. And no... it's not good sex-- Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi has brilliantly suggested to replace capitalism with an Islamic market system. Islam and markets--I'm loving it. 

We have our own economic philosophy and system which others do not have. The collapse of the capitalist system, which is based on usury and securities rather than commodities in markets, shows us that it is undergoing a crisis and that our integrated Islamic philosophy, if properly understood and applied, can replace the Western capitalism.

...Well, now that we've sorted that problem out, let's move on to other pressing topics like the female orgasm.

Hosni Mubarak,
Egyptian President

Middle Eastern states claim to be "liberal" democracies; that is, that they are democracies based in Enlightenment ideals and have a separation of Church and state. However, a handful of nations (notably Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, and Egypt) stand out as questionable liberal democracies.

Come participate in our discussion about this topic this Wednesday, October 15! At 7PM in CAS 326, we will simulate SPECPOL (a General Assembly committee) as we address the problem of false democracies in the Middle East.

"Western Liberal Democracies" and the Middle East

In 1992, Francis Fukuyama proposed that the Western liberal democracy was the final stage of socio-political teleological progression. This theory, published in his work The End of History, clearly opposes Marx' idea that government communism would represent the last phase.

The Bush Doctrine and the neo-conservative perspective as a whole have adopted Fukuyama's hypothesis; they now view democracy as a universal, natural desire. It was thus strongly believed that democracy could spread across the "undemocratic" world.

While the problem of perpetually expanding democracy is interesting in and of itself, of particular interest are "democracies" possessing clearly undemocratic qualities and practices, especially those supported by Western powers. In our discussion, we will focus on Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, and Egypt.

Country Focuses

Practices of Turkey:

• Turkey has had three military coups d'état since becoming a democratic nation: in 1950, 1971, and 1980. These coups shut down the democratic process, disbanded the "illegal" parties, and eventually returned power to a moderate political party.
• Turkey follows a specific type of liberalism - Laicism - which roughly translates to a separation between religion and state. However, the state strictly manages the power of religion.
• Since 1971, the Turkish government has banned a series of religiously oriented parties possessing the same leadership: the National Order Party, the Welfare Party, and the Virtue Party. Currently, the AK Party is under investigation for being too religious.
• Turkey does not recognize non-religious minorities. In other words, Muslims cannot be demoted as a minority, only Jews and Christians can.

Practices of Israel

• • • • • As of 2005, over 1.5 million Palestinian refugees lived within Israel's occupation boundaries. These lack citizenship to Israel, but the Israeli government is allowed to confiscate their land.
        • Israel lacks a constitution.
        • Israeli law includes Jewish religious law; marriages and divorces are controlled by religious courts.

Practices of Lebanon

• Lebanon employs confessionalism, a specific form of democracy, to keep sectarian violence at bay. The practice requires that the largest sect be represented by the President, the second largest by the Prime Minister, and the third largest by the Speaker of the House.
• The last official census of Lebanon occurred in 1932 - the top three sects were Maronites, Sunnis, and Shi'a Muslims.
• The estimated demographics within Lebanon today are 30% Shi'a, 25% Maronite Christian, and 21% Sunni.

Practices of Egypt

• • • • • Egypt became a republic in 1953; it held its first presidential election more than 50 years later in 2005.
        • Egypt has been in permanent emergency law since 1967. This bans street demonstrations, non-approved political parties, and unregistered political donations for all parties not currently holding the presidency.
        • Egypt legally restricts the press.

  ، أجاهد أن أخفيها ؛ فتنفر وتفل 

! منتزعة مني خزائن الشوق والحنين  

 تكيدني وقد آثرت تتبع النجوى ويسوقها الغرور

 ! وكانت دهشتي

ما هذا ولمَ أراكِ تقبضين  بإحكام جوارحي ؟

 ! إني أسألك الآن نفسي .. ألا تسمــعيني 

 قالت : لم أستطع وبكت في هذيان

تقول : جهادٌ جهاد والتحفـَتْ بغطاء الصبر

 تزرف الدموع كي لا أراها  ،

 وهنا وجدتني لم أتحمل وكشفت عنها الغطاء 

 قائلة لها: حبيبتي .. لا تبكي فلم يبق إلا قليل

.. كلانا في اختبار .. كلانا يتألم ، 

 إما أن أضعف وأكون ظالمة لكِ

، وإما أن نتمسك سويا بتقوى الله فنفوز برحمته

 . وإن كان على سمعك وبصرك وجلودك

  فلا تهاون ولا سخرية منهم 

 إنهم يسمعون ويشهدون

وينطقون  بأمر ربهم يوم التناد

 ألا أذكركِ بقول ربي ؟

 : يقول جل وعلا

 وما كنتم تستترون أن يشهد عليكم سمعكم }

ولا أبصاركم ولا جلودكم

 {ولكن ظننتم أن الله لا يعلم كثيراً مما تعملون

آية 22 سورة فصلت

 آه الآن هيا معي وأمسكتُ بحنان يداها

 وهى تمضي معي تتلفت خلفها ،

 تسترق النظر إلى شجرة  الهوى والعصيان

 حامدة رب العالمين الذي سترها

 ولكن لباس التقوى بروعته وجماله

  أنساها عذاب الشوق وألم الحنين

، والحمد لله رب العالمين

   عفاف عبد الوهاب صديق   

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What a beautiful morning to wake up in Edfu, where we had docked at some time during the night. The low sun was casting pale glittering shadows on the river as we went down to breakfast. It wasn't quite such an early start as yesterday but we had left the boat by 8.00am for the short coach ride through the busy town of Edfu to the Temple of Horus.

I've visited Edfu Temple several times before but today I was surprised by how quiet it was. We parked in the street alongside the stalls selling galabeyas and souvenirs and walked along the western side of the long temple enclosure wall, past rows and rows of larger-than-life Ptolemaic kings offering to various deities and then around to the huge First Pylon. To my amazement the courtyard was empty and so was the temple - our little group were the only visitors this morning. I stayed with Hala and the other guide for a while before setting off to take pictures, a temple devoid of the hoards was an opportunity not to be missed. While Mary stuck with the group, I went to photograph the eastern staircase. I was hoping to find a guard who might let me go up onto the roof. I soon found a willing enough guard, but unfortunately he didn't have the key to the locked gate at the top, I guess it's a no-go area. But the staircase was interesting and very similar to the dark winding stairs at Dendera, with priests and standard-bearers processing up and down. The 'Pure Place', a kiosk-like shrine to Hathor at the bottom of the stairs in an open 'sun court', is also identical to the one at Dendera, with the same figure of the sky goddess Nut on the ceiling. In many respects this is Dendera's twin temple, this being the abode of Horus, while Dendera belonged to his consort Hathor. The cult statue of the goddess was brought here each year by river to join with hubby to celebrate the 'Feast of the Beautiful meeting'. Scenes of this important annual festival are shown in great detail inside the porticos of the courtyard, but there was not enough time today to study these reliefs. I caught up with the group while they were in the sanctuary and then it was time to leave. I would dearly have liked a few more hours here - I had intended to have a good look at the Roman mamissi, on which the mamissi at Dendera was modelled but there was no time. This is a drawback in doing a cruise. It gives the visitor a taste of ancient Egyptian archaeology but you really need a separate visit to see much more. By 10.30am we were back on the boat on our way to Kom Ombo.

The weather has been much warmer today and Mary and I sat on the boat's top deck in the shade in the afternoon watching river scenes. My friend dozed on a sun lounger while I jumped up and down taking photographs of the odd clump of drifting water hyacinth, a heron on the river bank or a tiny island populated by the ubiquitous white egrets, but it was very peaceful. By the time we reached Kom Ombo the sun was already low and our visit to the temple, high on its promontory on a bend in the river, was quite rushed. It was almost dark when we left, running the gauntlet of souvenir stalls whose owners were desperate to compete for the last of the day's sales. Many of the cruise passengers bought galabeyas and head-wear for tonight's 'galabeya party' but I have brought an old favourite with me from my collection at home. As we were steaming away from Kom Ombo I stood on the rear deck watching the beautiful spectacle of the temple, floodlit now and standing gracefully to await tomorrow's new consignment of visitors.

The galabeya party after dinner was fun, with everyone dressed up and getting into the spirit of things. Some of my fellow passengers are real characters, stealing the show with their outrageous antics. We arrived and docked at Aswan around 10.30pm but I don't think anyone noticed we had stopped until much later.

This nine day package uses the scheduled services of South African Airways to Nairobi and features the highlights of Kenya - a safari to one of the famous 'tree hotels' of the Aberdares, the spectacular birdlife of the Rift Valley lakes and onto the rolling grasslands and 'Big Five' of the Masai Mara Game Reserve.
The overland section of this safari (Day 2 to Day 6) is operated on a private basis for your party only i.e. your own private safari vehicle and guide.

For a complete Kenya experience, please ask for details on our extension package to a Mombasa beach resort.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Article Citation: Back to Basics: The Discourse of Muslim Feminism in Contemporary Egypt. By: Osman, Ghada, Women & Language, 87554550, Spring2003, Vol. 26, Issue 1

Permanent Link: Click Here

Subject Headings of Articles: Feminism, Islam, Women & Religion